Get fired up for the fourth with these seaside inspired dish linens. One of our go-to shops for fabulous linens, Pioneer Linens, is giving one lucky Facebook Fan a set of darling red & white dish towels by Dermond Peterson. All that’s missing is something blue.. and YOU! So fire up the grill, grab a cocktail and enter here for your chance to win! You have until July 3rd to enter. One Facebook Fan will be randomly selected on July 4th. {Grill not included.}

Summer is the perfect time to get outside with your Littles and celebrate! Make everyday a party with items you have at home. Forget the party store when you have DIY projects that are easy as 1, 2, 3! Here are a few ideas I put together for the latest issue of The Party Dress Magazine:

Casi is Founder & Editor of cupcakeMAG & cupcakeMAG for Littles, ringleader of her 4 girls under 8, and let’s not forget to mention her darling hubs.When she isn’t writing and interviewing celebs, you can find her reading the “weeklies”, redecorating her home, wishing she had a nanny and chasing after her Littles!

You all know my life-long obsession with a good monogram. I love a clean, crisp initial or 3-letter monogram on just about anything! Do you remember the bridal shower I styled recently where we focused on updating the classic monogram for a bright party full of graphic, preppy patterns?

Today, I am sharing a few ideas of how to incorporate this classic look into your modern lifestyle and events. First up is this carved out wood plaque from Southern Proper Monograms (image via Holly Mathis Interiors). I have ordered a couple of these now for events, and whether used to welcome guests from the front door, or hanging in a window like this bridal shower, it adds a lovely, personal touch. I just ordered one for myself to hang in my family room. The good news? It comes natural wood, as shown above, and is incredibly easy to paint!

Incorporating initials or a monogram into your table linens and sweets for a classic look. These images above (via) are a great example of a clean look that looks updated for a wedding, bridal shower, etc. Another way to update your table or home is to stencil a monogram onto a vase. Using craft paint, you can apply it to glass, melamine or a birch vase (as shown below from etsy.com).

With a whirlwind of activity over here this last month (lots of parties, finalizing the summer magazine to launch soon, and a trip to NYC for the National Stationery Show), I am SO looking forward to Memorial Day weekend. For us, it typically means bbq, working in the garden, hanging out with friends and family, and just a slower pace of our everyday life.

Whether our weekend events will be big or small, let’s face it…..I’m a girl that LOVES to decorate. I’m always looking to update my holiday decorations from year to year, and I found two patriotic ideas that would be fabulous to create now, and then re-use for the 4th of July.

First up, a patriotic swag made out of different patterned fabric. You can find the full instructions on Country Home. These would be darling hanging across a fence or above a window!

Second, I came across this yarn-wrapped wreath on Pinterest. (Do you “pin?” Come join us!) What a fabulous idea! Red, white and blue yarn – wrapped around a styrofoam wreath form – add a couple of buttons for the “stars.” I love the BIG, graphic impact this has, and it’s so simple to make.

Iris Centerpiece

Sharnel Dollar inspired us with two amazing centerpiece ideas in the last issue of TPD Magazine to celebrate Spring. Today we are featuring her tips for re-creating this luscious, white iris centerpiece. I think this would be perfect for a Mother’s Day celebration, don’t you?

Supplies

Directions & Tips

Cut the floral foam to fit inside your planter or vase. Trim stems and arrange in florist foam. The longer stems in the center of the planter then work your way to the outer edges by shortening the length of the stems.

Once you are happy with your arrangement, give it a good water and place on your entry table for all to enjoy.

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend with your friends and families. We enjoyed a relaxing weekend with lots of baking, cooking, Easter mass and a big family brunch. Good food, good company….a lovely time was had by all.

Now that Easter is over and there isn’t another “holiday” for quite some time, I will be wandering around my house looking for ways to freshen it up for Spring. Tulips are my go-to. They are readily available at grocery stores and florists, and you can pull together a simple, yet stunning arrangement in no time flat, fairly inexpensively!

Here is one of my new favorite ideas for creating a table centerpiece with tulips….can’t you picture this in shades of pink?! You could create a fabulous ombre effect with the linear, bunches of flowers.

This week, I’m inspired to make some pretty, Easter centerpieces for my family. Here are a few ideas that are inspiring me…..

Carnation Nest

Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens, take a handful of dyed eggs and paired them with a few bunches of carnations to make a pretty Easter centerpiece. Fill a medium-size footed bowl with water, nestled dyed eggs in a smaller bowl inside and cut carnations about 2 inches long and placed around the bowl of eggs.

DIY Bird’s Nest

Another simple centerpiece for Easter inspired by Better Homes and Gardens – use pretty disposable plates and strips of ribbon to make inexpensive bird’s nest centerpiece. Hot glue rick rack and your favorite spring ribbon on hard-boiled eggs. This project would get even easier with fabric tape in pretty colors!

Decorating with Peeps

Fill $1 vases with pretty little decor eggs from Michael’s with Peeps in between. Add some happy gerber daisies for the perfect for the mantel decoration. {Image}

Just a little water

All you need is a little water and some carrots to make a simple centerpiece for brunch! Just fill up a vase with water and add carrots, a la the cover shot from The Party Dress Magazine!

Wheat Grass Eggs

Head over to Momtastic for the perfect little DIY project. This is the perfect project for Spring!

Casi is Founder & Editor of cupcakeMAG & cupcakeMAG for Littles, ringleader of her 4 girls under 8, and let’s not forget to mention her darling hubs.When she isn’t writing and interviewing celebs, you can find her reading the “weeklies”, redecorating her home, wishing she had a nanny and chasing after her Littles!

For our Modern Monogram bridal shower, we created a darling assortment of monogrammed napkins to dress up the tablesetting. They were simple to do, added a great pop to the table, and also served as a gift for the bride to bring home with her.

Let the Spring 2012 runway looks inspire your next party. Today I am showcasing one of the two themes that were featured in the Spring 2012 issue of The Party Dress Magazine.

Take your favorite Spring look and let it inspire! This J.Crew ensemble is simple, sophisticated and classic….with a little whimsical on the side!

{The Details}

Focus on soft pastels & a pop of yellow – just fill the table with lots of pretties! We are just smitten over this oh-so-perfect palette with a mix of patterns. Think Spring brunch with your best gal pals. Lean on fashion for the perfect inspiration when it comes to planning your next party!

Tip: Have extra fabric around? Use it to cover your beverage labels and add a little flair with a ribbon or throw it over the table for a quick pop of color. We love Michael Miller Fabrics for Spring.

Casi is Founder & Editor of cupcakeMAG & cupcakeMAG for Littles, ringleader of her 4 girls under 8, and let’s not forget to mention her darling hubs.When she isn’t writing and interviewing celebs, you can find her reading the “weeklies”, redecorating her home, wishing she had a nanny and chasing after her Littles!

It’s no secret that I am over-the-moon, head-over-heels in love with the color orange this season. It’s the hot color right now, and we are having a blast making it a part of our fresh, new party collections and decor for Spring. When it comes to decorating for Easter, I try to come up with some fun, but still sophisticated decor ideas (I’ll save the cutesy stuff for once we have kiddos running around!) and this carrot centerpiece is just the ticket! We were so happy with how it turned out, it made the cover of the Spring issue of The Party Dress Magazine!

The carrots offer a fabulous pop of color on any table, and this centerpiece was so easy to make!

Here are a few of my tips:

Choose a large, cylinder vase that is about the same height as your carrots.

Place a second vase of the same shape inside, to block out some room (you don’t need to completely buy out the produce section at the grocery store, right?!).

Place your carrots in between the vase a few at a time, so you can line the up straight.

Once your carrots are in place, add your water.

If the green tops are a little out of control, just trim them to your desired shape.

Add some daisies into the top of the arrangement for a little touch of whimsy!